“Meow” belongs to a rare genre as far as Hong Kong cinema is concerned. “There are very few fantasy films in Hong Kong and that’s precisely why we made this one,” said director Benny Chan. It was produced on a budget of over $14.5 million (RMB100 million).

The protagonist of “Meow” is an adorable, oversized cat kept by a family as a pet, but which turns out to be an alien from a remote planet aiming to domesticate human beings. A significant part of the budget has gone into the special effects in scenes featuring the big cat.

The film stars Louis Koo Tin-lok and Mary Ma and will be distributed locally by Emperor.

“Meow” is one of the approximately 10 films to be released by Emperor this year. Other titles include: “Cold Detective,” directed by award-winning screenwriter Wai Ka-fai and starring Sean Lau Ching-wan; and director Herman Yau’s thriller “The Sleep Curse,” which will play at both the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Festival of Far East Film in Udine.